Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Best Advice Ever

For years people have asked me for advice. Advice on film making, advice on writing, advice on women, advice on animation. I in no way am qualified to give anyone advice on anything, but I do give good advice. I do this by weighing the situation, thinking about the person, thinking about their problem logically, playing devils advocate, and once my computations are done I give the best scenario of what they show do, with no bias, no prejudice, just logical and well meaning intentions. The problem is, most people asking for advice, don't actually want advice, and ignore the most obvious solutions to their problems. Why don't they take the advice? Because usually the most obvious solution is the hardest thing to do. Tell the truth, be honest, follow your heart. As trite as these concepts may seem, they aren't easy things to do. They take courage, they take risk, and they take time. We are a society of people that want immediate gratification, and have been predisposed to the quick fix. Make no mistake, the right thing to do is never quick or easy, but the end result is always 100% more satisfying and effective every time.

I stumbled across this video today of animator Ralph Bakshi talking about animation. He gives the most honest straight forward advice. Advice I've tried to tell people to do for years. To be extremely cliche, it all boils down to "Just do it". Three words that for some reason carry more weight than anything ever stated. Watch this video, even if you have no idea who this old dude is, watch this video because at its core, his advice can fit into any every situation life throws at you.

Now go! Create! Make changes! Step outside your comfort zone! Your life will thank you. Nothing worth doing is ever easy, and a life with regret isn't a life at all.